Operator: Work and Training
by Iresol
Summary: Pre-Black Hawk Down Fic: Sequel to Operator which ties up a few loose ends and continues on with Hoot, Sanderson, and Randy as Operators. Plus the continuing marriage and times of Master Sergeant Gordon and his wife and more. Gordon fic #3.
1. Chapter 1

_Authors Note: Ok! Just so y'all know this ties in with my Hoot and Diana fic, "" so this occurs during that time. It's a tie in I guess. I had to have some traveling and such…enjoy and review please! _

**1.**

**Gordon.**

**Somewhere in Germany…**

The training was over for the moment. It was winter and I was not the world's biggest fan of snow. Not to say I hated it or anything. I had just gotten my fair share of it while growing up.

I walked through the dorm like building we were sharing with the Aussie Special Forces and saw that Randy was on the phone, still. He was sprawled out on the couch in the white winter clothes that we had been training in all day long. Too intent on talking to his sons to care about changing out of them.

I made a gesture; a telephone gesture, letting him know I was next.

Randy gave me a nod and continued his conversation.

I then walked on through the common living room area and down the hall. There were a few guys here and there, the ones who were married or had responsibilities at home mostly.

Sanderson and some of the single guys from our team and a handful of Aussies had already taken off for the bars.

Hoot was on his way out to visit his female companion. The identity of which was still in question. He had been with this unknown female for the past week and we had not seen her. It was love.

Hoot, in pretty much jeans and a oversized broken in leather jacket rubbed a bruised neck, "What time we goin out to train tonight?"

Seeing as we had been giving a tentative ten-hour R&R pass. I wanted to be on the safe side. I came to a stop in the hall and smelled soap. He had cleaned up for this female. "Be back in seven hours if you're not paged before then."

Cold weather training for us was different then training in cold weather as Rangers.

As a new Delta Hoot, Randy, and Sanderson were discovering this.

He gave me a salute and strolled onward.

I continued onward into my Spartan room.

I pulled the white coat I had been wearing off and hung it over the door. It was waterproof, cold proof, and fire proof, just not bullet proof. I dropped my gloves and ski mask on the heating vent on the floor. I had no energy to take my painted white boots off.

Don't get me wrong, I love my job.

I love to train.

I love my work.

Everything I do I consider a blessing, but, it'd been two long months since I had seen the wife. She'd gone off to England for a month and worked on a commission. Then she came home and I had flown out the morning she flew in that afternoon. Then by the time I came back she was leaving for Saudi Arabia with the twins and I left with my team for training.

There were no pictures of her on me or in the room.

That would have been a distraction.

I ran my fingers through my long hair and collapsed on the bed wondering where on Earth she was. What was she doing? Was she still in Saudi Arabia? Was she in Switzerland yet? How were the twins? God I missed her.

I closed my eyes and could see her leaving on the airplane with her boss, Satan, aka Holly.

My body was grateful for the break, for the rest. I had been pushing it for the past few days on mere hours of sleep. It wasn't happy with me.

For just a few minutes I didn't want to think tactics.

I didn't want to thing rations, ratios, or any sort of cold weather affects on my weapon.

There was a soft knock.

I opened my eyes and saw Randy with a portable phone in hand. "Here G."

He tossed me the phone and I caught it, put it to my ear and wondered if it was my wife or one of the twins, "Hello?"

Her voice managed to make every last ache and pain I had subjected my body to go away. "Hey sweetie, what are you up to?"

God her voice sounded so wonderful.

"Resting. Where are you?"

"We are in Jordan right now. Holly, Dezi, and the twins are eating, I'm at the hotel. We'll be here a few more days. Dezi wanted me to see some stuff here, he wants the whole Arabian theme for his paintings. The food is great though and the twins love the weather."

Jordan was indeed an interesting place. Though I had never been able to enjoy its culture for my work.

"When will you be in Europe?"

I heard her laugh. I could hear the call to prayer in the background and wondered what time it was there. She paused and guesstimated, "Two or three days…I suppose. I'll call you and let you know. I already told this to Randy so he'll know if he gets a day off."

That wasn't likely.

But knowing she was on the same continent would make me feel some better.

I wouldn't get to see her but…there was some level of comfort knowing she was within driving distance in a neutral country that treated women equal as men.

Ok, I knew she was safe because there were CIA Agents following Dezi around, and a few Operators but still; she was my wife. My responsibility. My everything.

"Have you boys been behaving yourselves?"

"Absolutely," I lied.

"Ummhmm," she hummed, and then added, "I found a carpet for the living room. I had it sent home. Hopefully it'll be home by the time we get home."

A carpet.

Whatever took my attention away for the moment. While she described the carpet I closed my eyes and just listened to the sound of her voice. Enjoyed hearing her speak. If I concentrated enough I could see her face while she spoke.

There was a whistle.

While she talked about the quality of the carpet I saw Gus in the doorway. Gus was one of the Aussie's, and the only one with a wife and children. He made a telephone gesture.

I nodded and held up two fingers – two more minutes.

With a nod he pointed down the hall.

He'd be in his room.

I gave him a nod that I understood and closed my eyes to enjoy my remaining minutes of quality time with my wife, slowly counting off two minutes in my head.


	2. Chapter 2

**2.**

**Gordon**

**Germany a few hours later…**

We had about two hours till our next training time and I say about generously. Since we have no clue about when the training ops will take place, where, or how long. So orders were passed down to give an hour and a half to get back, rest, eat, and be ready to go out.

I had eaten.

Showered.

Rested.

And was working on my weaponry. Putting my white rifle together. Adjusting the sights and playing with my new thermal scope. Randy sat on the floor, his rifle already in perfect condition just how he liked it, was busy cleaning out an almost healed wound. A few weeks ago in Chechnya he had ripped his calf on a piece of metal. It had required immediate attention. When we got on the helicopter the medic gave his leg some attendance and after a quick stop in Germany, twenty stitches later, his leg was better.

He sat on the floor picking at his second set of stitches with pliers. While I toyed around with a rifle almost bigger then my wife; we chatted. Whoever said guys never communicated was full of it.

"You don't think they'll be irreparably damaged? Seriously?"

While I worked on switching scopes, I shook my head, "No. Look at all the different military brats that travel around. Plus Angela is with them and she has a tutor to make sure they do all their homework."

There had been some debate as to what she would do with the twins, especially with them being in Kindergarten. Randy didn't want them to fall behind and Angela wanted to bring them with her.

She therefore hired a tutor to travel with her, Trey and Troy.

Randy hissed under his breath that made me look up. At first I thought he was taking the stitches out a little too soon. Nope. He had just pulled a leg hair out with the thread.

There was a small pile of threads at his side.

"Look at it this way Randy, they are getting to see with world with a maternal figure. How's that? If they are out doing stuff then they are busy and won't be missing you all the time."

Randy pulled a thread out of his calf and dropped it in the pile.

He then glanced up at me.

"Ok. Fine, yeah I get that part. But…never mind."

But…never mind was never the end of a conversation. I picked up my tiny screwdriver and heard the three jeeps that Sanderson and his drinking buddies had taken pull up outside.

I didn't know who drank more. Germans, Americans, or the Aussies. It was perplexing.

"But never mind nothing Randy. What's the problem?"

He stopped pulling his stitches out and looked me in the eye, so I stopped what I was doing and gave him my complete attention.

"You're aware of Trey and Troy's teacher? Stephanie?"

No.

I had never been to the school, forget meeting their teacher. On the rare occasion I dropped the two boys off at school I stayed in the hall outside their classroom. But Randy was my friend and I wanted to know what his problem was. So I asked, "What about her?"

He shook his head and rubbed the beard he had grown over our time in Germany. "It's going to sound really stupid. But, there was something there. Every time I see the woman for PTA or to pick them up, or whatever. There's a connection. Chemistry. Whatever you want to call it. I like her G."

Ok.

Randy liked a woman. This was excellent. He needed some female companionship.

So naturally I asked, "What are you going to do about it?"

He smiled almost bitterly.

The loud noises of the boys returning emanated as they came through the front door of our quarters.

"I'm not like Hoot. I can't just bed hop. I can't do casual sex and I can't just bring a female around that I'm not serious about with Trey and Troy. Plus there's the job too. I'm a pretty big package. How am I supposed to tell a female this on the first date…you know, hey baby, I can't tell you where I'm going, why, or what I do. I'll lie to you constantly until I can ascertain that you aren't a security threat and even then, you still won't get the truth. Oh! Also, I have two sons who you'll see more then me probably. Oh yeah…that'd go over well, who wouldn't want all _that _ in a relationship."

I rolled my eyes.

He was so young and naïve. He wasn't but a few years my junior and yet, he was like a younger brother. "Randy, you're being too hard on yourself. Single female mothers find husbands who love their kids like their own. If this female is it for you you'll know. Give it time."

With a face that could have meant anything he looked back down at his calf.

I went back to work on switching scopes.

There was a soft knock on the door and Hoot came in. Wordless he simply got down and lay on the floor in jeans and a t-shirt. He lay on the linoleum floor and closed his eyes.

"Time won't be a problem," Randy murmured under his breath. Trying not to mope in his problem he looked to Hoot, "How's your love life going?"

I glanced down at Hoot who remained silent.

Not even a twitch.

Randy looked to me.

Being the highest-ranking NCO in the room even though rank meant nothing to us, it was up to me to burst the bubble. "Are you going to propose or what?"

Nothing.

Randy rolled his eyes and tugged at a string.

God I was so happy to be married.


	3. Chapter 3

_Authors Note: Ok, like the previous two works. If the chapter is marked Gordon or someone else, then it is their POV. If not, then it is Angela's POV. Reviews are welcomed. Enjoy!_

**3.**

**Switzerland.**

I couldn't concentrate.

I couldn't work so late. I had worked all day long from dawn till dusk. I wanted nothing more then to just go home and curl up in a little ball in my bed. I knew I was feeling the remainder of the hormones and probably a little depression.

Yet, I couldn't kick the feeling of sickness that filled me.

The guilt.

I had never lied to my husband, not once. Never had I lied to Gordon and I wanted nothing more then to spill my heart. Yet, I couldn't. Not that I shouldn't, or couldn't; I wouldn't.

I stared at the semi complete Arabian inspired mural in what would be a playroom.

It was late.

Very late.

I knew Gordon was up, he was in the same time zone, or so I thought. Yet. If I called him there was a good possibility I would spill my heart. And I was not going to do that to him.

Especially when there was nothing that he could do.

So there I lay on the floor in the center of a huge room, on a drop cloth, staring at a ceiling of dawn in the desert. It was full of vibrant colors. There was even the Prophet Mohammad on winged horse in the corner by the moon.

I did so well when the twins were around.

They helped so much.

Yet, they were in bed.

So I knew it wasn't them when the sound of feet came down the hall, through the door, and then mere inches away.

"Angela. If you don't snap out of this funk I'll commit you. I swear to whatever deity you worship I will."

I remained silent at Holly's threat.

She wasn't helping at all.

Not because she was moody or a bitch. Oh no, that was fine. But I couldn't look at her. So I closed my eyes.

"Did you tell Gary you were in Switzerland yet?"

My silence was answer enough.

She tapped her foot in impatience.

"Look…sweetie, I get being an artist that at some point in your life you're going to be depressed, that it is in your job description. But I can't stand to see you like this."

Being snippy and in no mood, and slightly depressed, I spat back with my eyes closed, "What do you care? I'm working and putting out a good product."

She stamped her foot and I didn't care.

"Angela! You are in pain. Any idiot can see it. If you don't take a pill, or tell your husband, I will."

That made me open my eyes.

I saw a vibrant recreation of the prophet and felt my eyes burn. I forced myself to look at my very pregnant boss.

Tears began to burn in my eyes.

"I'm not ready to tell him yet."

"I don't care. Someone is telling him because you need someone to help you since you're not letting me."

The tears began to roll down the side of my face and I wiped at them. I knew she wouldn't be able to get in touch with him. So her threat was pretty hollow. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

She looked annoyed.

She was beyond annoyed with me, "Because you're like some wounded animal that needs to be put out of its misery. Angela…there are doctors for people who go through this. You are really pissing me off. Do you realize that all this is self imposed suffering?"

In a whisper I hissed, "I'll tell him when I am ready."

**Almost two months ago at a hospital in England…**

I hated hospitals to begin with. But being in a hospital in a foreign country, alone, sick as a dog was not helping at all.

The plane trip had been fine. I'd slept the whole time. It could have been the medication I was taking in order to get over the lovely case of pneumonia and bronchitis that I had caught from Gordon, who caught it from God only knew where.

I had been taking more pills then a senior citizen.

Then there was that time zone difference and flight.

Plus the food poisoning that I had gotten at the airport in Washington D.C., it had been a bad few days all around.

Finding myself in a little paper gown, alone in a cold sterile room, in a place where they spoke the Queen's English and made me feel just a little less then superior; not helping me or my mood and especially the lasting image of my journey.

It had to have been a jinxed trip.

After what felt like hours the doctor came in. He took a seat by the stretcher that I was on and asked, "Do you have any family here who can stay with you?"

I shook my head and spoke in a congested hoarse voice. Congested from the virus I was getting rid of from Gordon. Hoarse from all the throwing up of food from the other day. Salmonella was a bitch.

The older doctor, a white guy with balding head and huge bushy eyebrows let out a breath, "What about a cleric? Are you any certain denomination?"

By now I could sense there was something afoot.

The Gods were not yet done with me.

I covered my face, "Oh God, what horrible disease have I contracted? I've been so sick for the past three weeks doc, it's not funny. Whatever it is just let me have it. I'm getting rid of my virus and the Salmonella, so lets just hear it. What else is wrong with me?"

He hesitated and then he placed his hand over my cold hand.

His hand was surprisingly warm.

I looked into his blue eyes and wondered what weird disease I had caught.

"Ma'am…you were pregnant."

I blinked.

At first I thought he had misspoken. That was until he repeated what he told me again and then I shook my head. "No. I am on the pill. I can't get pregnant. I take the pill. I have it in my luggage, wherever my bag is."

The doctor shook his head, "Ma'am, the anti-biotic you were on counteracted the pill. It rendered it void, null, obsolete."

That took a moment to sink in.

I just sat there and stared at the doctor man. Weightless. Stunned. Then it dawned on me that I was pregnant. I was pregnant with a baby. I had a baby in my body, my baby, Gordon's baby. When it all settled in my head I asked in a whisper, "I'm pregnant?"

"You were pregnant."

That word bothered me.

_Were._

I placed a hand over my abdomen. The area that was causing me a considerable amount of pain earlier in the day.

Were was past tense.

"What do you mean," was all I could get out.

"Ma'am, the pains you experienced this morning was not food poisoning. Well, it may have been some remaining. But, between all the medications you have taken from the food poisoning and the virus. The international flight. The food poisoning. All that trauma suffered led a miscarriage this morning."


	4. Chapter 4

**4.**

**Gordon.**

**Germany a few days later.**

Sergeant Major Luis Johnson was a very interesting individual. He hailed from Los Angeles and had a Hispanic mother, an African father, so he was a tall stocky man who resembled a bear, he spoke fluent Spanish and looked more Greek then anything else.

He was the highest-ranking individual among our little group.

While rank was never really important in our division if any of the guys had a problem Army related, or otherwise they'd go to Johnson. He was the more professional of us all. If there was a higher up we looked to before the colonel it was him.

Yet, he never pulled rank.

When we worked in a group we'd turn to him on occasion, but he'd pull his own weight. We respected him a great deal.

So when we were in the process of planning an assault on a snowy compound on the back of a Humvee, in the middle of a friggin blizzard, like the wise professional he was he looked over the map with not only myself, a mere Master Sergeant, but also Sergeants.

We all had our own ideas on how to beat the Aussies into the structure.

"Looks like this duct could provide a good place for a sniper."

With Randy and I being the single sniper team on site looked over the map in our snowsuits.

I did not like the looks of the drainage pipe.

Randy did not like the looks of it and shook his head, "No. Too much of a danger of being confined."

Each negative comment had to be followed by something positive. I pointed with my snow white gloved finger toward the roof of the building on the map. It looked like a perfectly flat roof. I'd rather be on a roof or on a rise then in a pipe. "What if we came in with the scouts and set up here, on the rise."

Randy nodded in agreement.

Johnson looked at the rise, saw the height from the markings on the map, and then the area we would see. But that also prevented a problem, "Will you two be able to cover that much area?"

That was a good question.

It was a lot of ground that we were responsible for securing. Once secured we would be responsible for it until the assault team cleared the house and left. We still didn't know where the Aussie's would be coming from, where they were, or their plan.

I looked to Randy and shifted in the knee-deep snow.

The paintball gun was heavy in my hand.

Randy's eyes intently studied the map, he then looked to Johnson and pointed to the highest spot on the map, "We could set up around here and handle any threat that isn't huge. It shouldn't be a problem. So long as the scouts hold their area."

If Hoot and the guys could secure their area then it wouldn't be too difficult. We had a whole valley and the trees around it to secure. The building was in the middle in plain sight.

I was worried about traps. Ambushes. The usual.

It was mutual among our team.

At that Johnson then recalculated some of the plans of insertion for us and whatnot. I watched the map. Sure it was just a game, practice. We even had paintballs instead of the usual live rounds. But it was in a setting we didn't have much experience with. A climate we rarely worked in. It was virgin ground for us.

Then I looked to Randy, "We'll need the snow net. Both guns. Some thermal binoculars…no, two blankets." I then pointed to a spot in the woods, "We'll set up here on the ridge so we can use the trees. We'll put another nest out here on the prime spot incase the Aussies show up. If something happens we can escape into the woods."

Johnson followed my fingers, my plan, and Randy too.

**Half an hour later or so…**

Randy had my back.

I couldn't see him and I had no idea where he was out in the snow, but I knew he was out there with his gun while I played in the snow. I made two man shaped lumps out of snow and covered them with a white blanket made for snipers in artic environments.

I made sure the lumps were somewhat concealed and the blanket provided adequate cover. The minute they pulled out their thermal binoculars they would see it was snow. Hopefully they wouldn't right away and give us time to shoot them with our paintballs.

Once I was done I grabbed my gun and hauled it toward the woodline. I stopped and burrowed in the snow here and there to make sure it was clear. Once I spotted the all clear from Randy I would get up and haul it to another place I could burrow into and wait for another all clear.

Eventually I made it to the wood line where our snipers nest awaited.


	5. Chapter 5

**5.**

**Switzerland**

It had started out as a day like any other.

I had been up all night so I was already painting by the time Trey and Troy came strolling in wearing their Power Ranger pj sets. Troy being the Red Ranger and Trey being the Blue Ranger.

The three of us ate breakfast together and played out in the snow. Afterward while they studied with their tutor I went back to work.

It was around noon'ish when a scream filled the halls of Dezi's mansion. I climbed down off my ladder and the screaming continued. At that I ran, barefoot, across the marble floor and out of the room I was working in. Covered in paint. I ran toward the sound of Trey's screams.

I ran as fast as my feet could carry me into the rooms Dezi had set aside for us. I came into the "study" and saw the tutor, an older Greek lady passed out on the floor and Troy holding his bleeding scalp.

There was blood, a lot of blood.

Blood didn't bother me.

Apparently it bothered the tutor. Who I had to step over in order to get to Troy as Trey continued to scream.

It was quite a bit of blood. Head wounds always bled a lot. I grabbed a semi clean paint rag from my jeans pocket and put it to his bleeding temple. At the sight of me Trey stopped screaming and began to profusely apologize.

Glad Troy had his hair back in cornrows.

I wiped the blood from his face and looked between the twins, "What happened?"

Trey was speechless.

Troy defiantly told me, even though he had paled considerably, "I tripped and fell."

Tripped and fell. Oh if he only knew how many times I had used that line in my life.

There was also Trey's broken G.I. Joe on the floor and his hard covered book with a bloody corner.

Uh-huh, I could draw my own conclusions.

I lifted the corner of the rag and saw a deep gash in the corner of his temple. He was going to need stitches.

Oh that was just wonderful.

"Trey, sweetie, could you go get my purse for me? We have to go to the hospital."

He looked ready to die. Tears welled up in his eyes and I immediately told the poor child, "Oh sweetie, it's just to get Troy some stitches. He's not hurt badly. Just a flesh wound." He still sobbed as he ran for my room where my purse was.

"Get my coat too!" I yelled after him, knowing we had gotten five more inches since dawn.

Snow was such a pain to drive in. But, Troy was certainly going to need stitches. I took his hand and looked into his defiant eyes, "Troy, will you hold this rag here? I need to get your coats and write a note for Dezi and Holly."

Brave as always.

Troy reached up and held the rag on his head wound.

When I was positive he was semi-ok, I ran around the study. I grabbed the twin's winter coats. Both had heavily lined green camo jackets with fur around the hoods. Then I wrote out a note on school paper with pencil.

_I had to take the twins to the hospital. We'll be back by dinner, Angela_

I peeked over my shoulder at Troy and saw he was soldiering through, being a brave little man.

Thank God. Which inwardly I was doing as I ran over to him and put the coat on him.

Trey came back out and put my purse and coat on their worktable. I tossed him his coat, "Sweetheart, could you put that on and go leave that note out on the hall table?"

With a guilty nod Trey pulled on his coat and grabbed the note, then he took off.

I got both of Troy's arms in the coat.

Then I hurried over to my purse and fished out my wallet. I made sure I had my credit cards, our passports, our military IDs and the car keys to the rental BMW. Perfect. We were ready to go.

**The Hospital not far from the German Border…**

Trey stood guiltily toward the corner of the room as the nurse sewed up the corner of Troy's head. She was a young nurse. An American by her accent. She was around my age. Dark hair, unique teal eyes, and she oozed a confidence that I wish I had.

Her nametag read _Diana_ _McKnight_.

She seemed to understand young boys as she sewed the flap of skin back on his scalp while I held his hand.

We had been seen pretty quickly since the wound was bleeding quite heavily when we strolled on in the ER.

"Aunt Angela?"

I looked over at Trey, "Yes sweetheart?"

Timidly he asked, "Are you going to tell Daddy?"

Troy spoke up defiantly, "You don't have to. This can be our secret."

Randy didn't need to be made aware of every little mishap between his boys. I smiled and gave Troy's hand a gentle squeeze, "Don't worry."

The nurse even smirked.

Our smiles and smirks vanished when we heard yelling come from outside our curtain. A look of confusion covered the American Nurses face, she looked to me and nodded with her chin since she was halfway through sewing, "Could you peek out and see whose yelling?"

Why not.

I was curious myself. "Sure," I told her and let go of Troy's hand and patted his knee.

I strolled over to the white curtain and peeked out into the ER.

What I saw made me feel like I had my hand stuck in a cookie jar and had been caught.

I saw Hoot and Hoot saw me.

I was supposed to be in Jordan still. He knew it and I knew that he knew it.


	6. Chapter 6

_Authors Note: Ok, so now I have a plot and a main idea, any faults or mishaps are mine and mine alone. Lemme know about any booboos. Enjoy and review!_

**6.**

**Germany. **

**Gordon**

After another fun filled day/night/day of training we were given a few hours off to eat, change, clean up, rest, and prepare for whatever came next in our training. I had gotten in.

Cleaned my weapon.

Ate two Dagwood sized sandwhiches and had a German beer to wash them down, followed by half a bag of carrots and two cups of milk.

Then I boiled myself in the shower in lukewarm water that turned to cool water after three minutes for about twenty minutes. While I pondered whether I should grow a beard.

I had just decided against shaving when the bathroom door opened.

None of us were homo or anything, and we all knew when someone was showering since the walls were paper-thin.

"G."

It was one of the Aussies.

Raymond?

"Yeah," was my answer.

"Hurry up. You're gonna wanna see what's on the telly mate."

Ok.

So there was something really good on the TV. Raymond didn't go around calling me out of the shower for new episodes of The Simpson's. So I turned the water off and grabbed a towel.

I exited the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around my waist while running my fingers through my hair. The bruise on my stomach was no longer purple or tender to the touch. In a few days the stitches on my neck would come out and I would be good as new.

I just had to stop playing with my stitches, easier said then done.

I walked past Marvin who ducked into the bathroom in order to steal the dorms sole shower. Which was fine with me, I was done. I made it out into the common area where there were guys everywhere and peeked at the TV. Sanderson was slinked across the top of the couch that held six Aussies, remote. On the TV was live coverage of some sort of a rally outside a base in the states, an Army base, our base, and our home.

The more I watched the more I realized they were protesting the military.

Now I was annoyed, "You pulled me out of my shower for these idiots?"

Sanderson jumped a foot in the air.

He looked over his shoulder at me and swore. Then he changed the channel, "No man. Look, it's your wife."

So the program was on some entertainment show that was in German. I didn't care. I was fluent in German, most of us were. I watched the coverage of the renovation of some Prince of England's Mansion, coverage that included my wife. Who was looking pretty pale and sickly from her bout of Salmonella Poisoning, along with forty people who had flown out of DC that particular day.

There was dead silence.

Since Angela was my wife there were no catcalls, no whistling, and no juvenile sex jokes. Had she been my girlfriend it would have been different.

Instead, Sanderson remarked, "She looks like hell G."

She did.

She needed to be in the hospital, preferably at home when she had been sick. No, my wife refused to even go to the damn doctor till she landed in England. She had roughed out food poisoning. Salmonella had knocked me on my ass on more then one occasion, I'd been sick as hell. I knew exactly how rough it was. She was such a pain at times.

"Yeah, she was one of those lucky ones that got food poisoning from the DC International Airport a couple months ago," I remarked.

One of the Aussie's, I could never remember his name, but he was just covered with tattoos looked up at me, "She's adorable mate. She have any sisters?"

I shrugged, "No clue."

It was the truth.

Angela could have had siblings and we wouldn't know. We didn't even know who her father was.

I was distracted though. The paintings in the mansion were great and all, I'm sure she made a pretty penny. But there was something surreal about watching my wife being interviewed and chased around. If I ever got my hands on that prince he was going to be in a world of pain. She had loved being an unknown artist. Being able to travel around the globe without being recognized. Then that fool had gone and invited cameras in his mansion when she was working.

They hadn't been able to figure out her name since she used an alias to sell her art.

All they knew was that she was an American. That was it. For that I was grateful.

"She looks like a scared rabbit, mate."

She did look like a scared rabbit. Which really pissed me off.

Sanderson patted that particular Aussie on the back, "You should see her when she's not recovering from multiple illnesses. She's got more color and is a little firecracker."

There was some whispering going on around me.

I blocked it out.

She looked really pale, sick even.

While I watched my wife get interviewed by some skinny ass reporter that wanted to know things that weren't any of his damn business, the Sergeant Major came in the room.

"Has anyone seen Hoot?"


	7. Chapter 7

**7.**

**Switzerland**

The twins were utterly thrilled at seeing "Uncle Hoot." While I paid the bill and filled the prescription for some sort of ointment for Troy's stitches. He not only got them in their winter coats, but in the car and buckled up; all in less than 20 minutes.

The man was a miracle worker.

By that time I had everything and was ready to drive back to Dezi's mansion and get to work. Once I finished the mural I was done with the commission and could go home.

Holly was taking a boat home. A cruise ship; she was really roughing it.

I got to the new rental that was covered in a new dusting of snow just as Hoot closed the passenger door. In his basic BDU's he gave me a look, "Girl, you supposed to be in Jordan. What'cha doin here?"

While I usually didn't lie.

I had to, I forced a smile, "Work. Things have been really busy."

He didn't believe a word. I could see it in his expression. He cocked a dark eyebrow and then asked me, "What's wrong?"

Again, I lied, or tried to, "Nothing. Why?"

He gave me a look.

He knew that I knew that he knew I was lying. So he reached out and took my hand between his strong gloved hands. He looked at me closely with those dark eyes of his, "Somethins wrong. What happened. Did someone hurt you? Girl quit lyin, if you don't tell me what is wrong I'll tell G you here."

It was then I fell apart.

I couldn't handle seeing Gordon and telling him what happened. I could hardly handle it myself. The tears came and I couldn't stop then. I pitched forward and let him hold me as I began to sob. The sobs shook my body as the tears flowed out onto his uniform.

He wrapped his strong arms around me and held me while I sobbed. Out in the parking lot while it snowed he held me. He sank his fingers in my hair and softly rocked me like a child.

Against my ear he softly whispered, "It's ok baby girl. I'm here. Ain't no one gonna hurt you no more."

Oh if he only knew.

I huddled against him continued to sob. It was upsetting him, I could tell. He took my chin between two of his fingers and tilted my face up from where it was buried in his chest. In a whisper I told him, "I had a miscarriage."

His face fell.

"Oh girl…did you tell G?"

Immediately I shook my head, I began to tremble beneath my heavy coat and his warm body, "I didn't even know I was…pregnant."

"Girl, you gotta tell him. For you."

I shook my head and tried to back away. Hoot wouldn't let me. He pulled me close in a bear hug and I sagged against him. I needed someone to hold me.

"Not yet…I can't…" I whispered, begging. But I didn't pull away. I couldn't pull away. I needed someone to hold me. He did, he held me and rocked me while he asked, "When'd this happen?"

Against his chest as I sobbed, I managed to tell him, "In…England."

"You were all alone," he muttered more to himself then anyone, all I could do was nod against his chest. I wrapped my arms around his chest and clung to him. As if he could make it all better.

The passenger door opened and Troy hopped out.

Immediately I stood up and wiped my face clean. He was giving me a look, "Are you ok?"

I forced the biggest smile I could manage, "Just fine sweetie, I twisted my ankle is all. Get back in the car so we can go back to Dezi's."

Troy eyed me but listened.

Hoot gave me a look, "Girl you cain't do this to yourself. This is something you and G need to work through."

Afraid he would tell, I grabbed his hands and begged, "Hoot please, let me tell him. I need to work through this on my own. I'll tell him but I'm not ready yet. I'll tell him I'm in Switzerland, ok?"

Hoot eyed me but nodded, "A'ight. You better, an I'll be checkin up on you."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Ok, so there may be some slight variation in my POV's just because. The fic that ties in is "McKnight's Daughter" I believe, I can't remember for the life of me. But anywho, enjoy and review.

8.

Germany. Hoot.

Germany was one helluva place.

I had never been before and if things kept going the way they were I doubted I'd leave. Unless the female I had come across left, but that was thinking way too far ahead. I suddenly had a huge problem named Angela in the back of my head.

A couple hours ago I had been somewhat footloose and fancy-free on my way to the Switzerland border to see Diana.

Diana McKnight no less.

Boy could I pick them.

The woman was lightning.

She was pretty much every damn thing I wanted wrapped up in a cute as hell package. With a daddy that could have my ass if he found out what I was doing with his only daughter, his prize and joy no less.

I had only gotten a few moments with her after seeing Angela and the twins. A few minutes were not near enough but they would do, for now. I had to figure out what to do with Gordon's wife. The damn woman was trying to deal with something alone, that no poor soul should have to deal with on their own. Especially one like her.

Stupid me, I promised I wouldn't rat her out.

I slammed the door on the little death trap box that I had rented, the car was small as a shoe. I slammed it so hard the window splintered.

"Shit," I muttered, a clot of hot air drifted up from my profanity.

I probably should have gotten that renters insurance. I looked upwards at the heavens and the falling snow for some sorta guidance. It wasn't there. So I turned and headed towards the old beaten building that was housing us and the Aussie's. They were swell guys.

I stomped across the parking lot through the snow and up the steps, stomping the snow off my boots.

I opened the door and a blast of hot air hit me. For a few seconds it hurt to breath. As my face became adjusted, I closed the door and pulled my hat and gloves off.

Wondering what the hell I was going to do about her, Gordon, and my newly acquired girlfriend.

How was I going to get her to move out of Virginia Beach to North Carolina near me.

Randy was on the couch talking to someone that was unhelpful by the looks of it. I had to find G. So I wound around and heard Sanderson yell for me.

I turned and spotted him stroll out of the kitchen, beer in hand, "Hoot, the Bear is looking for you."

Sergeant Major was looking for me. Hmmm, well that couldn't be good. I hadn't screwed up with my training at all, had to be about Diana. "Where's he at," I asked.

Sanderson nursed his beer and pointed, "Check G's room.

They were holding a powwow in there."

A powwow.

Sounded interesting. So I jerked my head towards Randy who was chewing on the eraser of a pencil. Apparently getting nowhere with whoever he was on the phone with, "What's up wit Randy."

A catty smiled curled on Sanderson's face. Which told me how good this was going to be.

"An what's that look for," I demanded.

To which he informed me, "Our dear Randy is trying to get the number of his little one's teacher, that cute brunette. Remember her?" No. I couldn't picture any female other then Diana at the moment. I had it that bad. But I had a reputation to uphold, which oddly enough didn't seem so important, so I just shrugged.

Sanderson snorted, "Yeah well, he's been on the phone since you left trying to get her number."

"Damn," I mumbled, "He's dun got it bad."

Sanderson nursed his beer, "Ummhmm. So…how's the Lt. Colonels daughter?" I gave him a look and patted his shoulder. At that I continued down the hall.

Sanderson right behind me, "Hooooooot! Do tell! Inquiring minds are interested." He tapped my neck with the bottle. So I turned and calmly told him, "Go play wit yourself."

His eyebrows rose and that smile crawled over his lips. In an almost singsong sort of way he cooed, "Oh my God. Our dear lil Hoot is in love." I stared at him blankly. Waiting ever so patiently for him to continue.

Suddenly the teasing dropped. His smile flattened. I nodded in silence to him and hooked my thumbs in my pockets. There was no response to that thing he called a song and I really didn't want to argue. I did love the woman.

She had grown on me.

"Oh my God. You are in love?" I nodded in response to my friend who looked a little green around the edges.

I patted his shoulder and told him, "I'm gonna marry this woman."

He just stared at me. Clearly floored. "The woman is damn near perfect…I don't think I can let'er go."

I just had to ask Gordon something that I wouldn't dare let be known. I was more then experienced with females. I had known my way around them since I was fifteen. But this one was being exceptionally difficult and I had to know something that Gordon would know, personally know. Which also told me just how serious I was about this female. He was usually the one asking me advice, or questions about females. Boy was this a change.

"G's in his room?" Still in a stupor Sanderson nodded, "Yep."

So I cruised out of the kitchen area. Past an oncoming group of Aussies, whom I high-fived on my way past. All of them in various stages of intoxication, not enough to hamper their ability to function though. I came to G's room eventually and knocked on the doorframe even though I knew he was alone.

There was no noise coming from the room.

"Yeah?"

Which was pretty much the all clear to enter.

So in I went.

I nudged the door open and spotted him pouring over a map of the area. "Could I have'a word G?"

Absently he nodded, "Sure."

Only when I closed the door did he look up and realize it was of some importance and somewhat private.

He lowered the map from where he stood by the window for light, "What's up?"

I knew exactly what I wanted to ask him, I had been going over it again and again in my head. "When you an Angela started…bein intimate with one another, how'd you know she was ready an all?"

Patient as all get out he folded the map. He tapped the map on his palm and read between the lines, "What does that have to do with your little love-muffin?"

Damn he was good.

I wasn't about to give him all the sordid details.

But I wanted his opinion.

After all he had been celibate for the majority of his marriage to a woman who had been, to put it gently, treated like crap. So he had more experience in that area of females then me.

Even though my love-muffin was a polar opposite from his. "Her last boyfriend was a jackass an I don't wanna scare'er off. So I was curious as to how you known when Angela was you know…ready to roll around with you."

Gordon rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed.

Then he looked to me, "Hoot. She'll let you know when she's ready."


	9. Chapter 9

9.

**Hoot. Germany. **

_The house of Lt. Col Danny McKnight. _

_The next morning… _

It was really really really late in the morning.

Almost lunch time infact, and there I was like a jackass pounding on the front door of a house in a near deserted neighborhood.

Almost deserted since everyone in the neighborhood was at work, including the Lt. Col, which was why I was pounding away on the door.

I knew she was home.

Sleeping, which I was not so smart to be pounding away on the damn door. Whenever she opened it she was not going to be happy. Yet I really didn't care.

I only had thirty minutes and Sanderson was waiting in the car.

Not only to pick me up, but also give me aide incase she killed me.

Clouds of white air came out of my mouth as I swore like a sailor. I stepped back as the locks were turned and the door opened at an incredible rate of speed. And there she stood in all her glory. Still in her scrubs and sneakers.

Her eyes narrowed and her cheeks red, her ears red, she was flushed; like she always was when she was exhausted. "What! What on Earth is your problem! Why are you here? I was asleep you jackass!"

God she was amazing.

Such passion and fire.

Exhaustion too.

I took a step back and told her, "You didn't return my call."

Her eyes widened and blazed.

If I didn't have pride I would have stepped back again.

For a moment I thought she was gonna rip my head off. She stepped out on the patio and grabbed a handful of my t-shirt, pulling me down roughly to her eye level.

Since she was tired her voice was all husky, making her even more sexy, "Listen and listen good Hoot, Norm, whatever you want to be called. I AM NOT DATING ANYONE. Ok? You're fun and all, just gorgeous and sexy and probably the best thing since sliced bread. I just got out of a relationship and am in NO mood to go hop in your bed. Got It? Go find some little Army Groupie and leave me alone."

Oh like that was gonna happen, "You don't have to hop."

She let go and shoved me back. Walked in her father's house and slammed the door. Why couldn't I have met her before? Preferably before she dated Doctor Jackass.

I stepped forward and knocked on the door.

There was no way I was just opening the door and walking in.

Her father had weapons in the house and she knew how to use them and I was not certain that she wouldn't shoot me.

I knocked a few times and the door opened.

If there wasn't the chemistry I wouldn't be hounding her. She could have just been stunning and had an amazing personality and I could have just walked away.

But no, there was nothing short of pure electricity.

I wanted this violent little mouthy, feisty, and demanding female more then I had wanted any other female in my life.

There she was again.

Still irritated with me beyond all belief, she held the door open and let me in out of the cold.

I stepped in the house that was clearly her father's house, an Army House.

She stomped through to the couch where she had been doing laundry.

There was a pile.

There were clothes hanging off hangers and on the ironing board. She was ironing her father's uniforms.

She slammed the front door and I turned ready for more of her attitude.

She could yell at me all morning and I wouldn't care. So long as I was there with her.

Temperamental was an understatement concerning Diana.

No sooner had I turned and there she was, mere inches away.

She stalked to me, grabbed my shirt, yanked me down to her and kissed me like she was goin away forever.

At first I was a little confused…and then her fingers slid through my hair and her tongue was in my mouth, and life was great. This I could do. I wrapped my arms around her, in her hair, got ahold of her pants, pulled her closer. You would'a thought I had never kissed a girl before.

She was like a drug, she was intoxicating.

She shoved me backward and my ass hit the couch, but her lips never left mine. Her fingers wove in my hair and then they dropped down. Suddenly she stopped kissing me.

A gasp came out of me and her fingers were digging at my t-shirt. "Girl…I think we should talk for'a second. Usually, I ain't one to over think anythang, but…I really…"

She gave me a look and covered my mouth, "Shut up Hoot. Just be quiet."

All right, I got that I was a few years older then her and all.

I didn't want to screw up anything before it began with this woman, who was perched on my knee's in the process of pulling my shirt over my head.

It came off and she was still for a moment while she admired my stomach. Her fingers traced over the muscle. I grabbed her fingers and entwined them with mine. Then I took her smooth flushed cheeks between our fingers and made the woman look me in the eyes. "Diana…we do need to talk. I want to date you. I want to take you out to dinner, I want to take you to the movies, and I want to makeout in the car and wake up in the morning with you."

She gave me a look and I could see for just a minute she was feeling it, feeling the same, she almost gave in to me.

Then I guess her sense came back to her cause she let out a wail and fell off my lap and onto the couch, her legs still across my thighs. She covered her face with her palms. God she was so temperamental, yet, it fascinated me even more.

I rubbed her thigh, "Diana?"

She ripped her hands down an demanded of me, "Why do you have to be such a good kisser?"

My eyebrows rose. To which she then spat, "Dammit! You know, if you would have been a crappy kisser, or gross, or anything but utterly you…I would have no problem kicking your ass out."

So she felt that lil chemistry too.

My smile grew and she thrust her finger at me, "I swear to God Hoot. Touch me and I'll castrate you."

Well I was willin to take that risk.

I got on my hands and knees and crawled my way up over her. "Well, baby, that's just'a risk I'm willin to take to get you to come to my side. An now that we'va'stablished that there's a lil chemistry b'tween us, an you like my stomach, we can plan our weddin."

Her teal eyes narrowed up at me.

I came to a stop and dropped down on her and she didn't knee me in the groin, I was making huge progress.

So I risked a kiss.

Then I risked another kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

_Authors Note: Ok, the bombings in this chapter and the events onward never happened, they are a figment of my imagination. Fiction. False. ETC, just FYI. Just to let y'all know. I needed a major event to move my plot along and came up with it. _

**10. **

**Gordon. **

**Meanwhile… **

"Has anyone here seen Sanderson or Hoot," I asked for what felt like the third time in less then an hour.

How could two guys go missing?

They just vanished.

No one knew where they were.

They weren't in their rooms.

They weren't in the bathroom.

They weren't in the stockade.

How could I loose two Delta Operators?

"Not since they were conspiring in the kitchen," Randy told me, attempting yet again to work the phone. Annoyed he put it on the receiver and then asked, "Whom has he been chasing around? Maybe he got lucky?"

God I had no idea.

I sagged across the countertop and let out a breath. The Sergeant Major was out along with the Aussies. It wasn't like I was in charge or anything. It just wasn't great to loose two men who were known to cause trouble apart, together, well, no good would come of it.

Randy picked up the phone again and tried the number to one of the gates, the one closest to us.

He dialed the number, waited, and swore; "Damn busy signal again."

He smacked the phone down on the receiver. "Exactly how far away are they?"

I didn't have to ask him to elaborate on they. I knew who they were. They being my wife and his sons.

"No Randy," I simply told him.

He let out a sigh and looked upwards.

So I added, "You have to separate yourself when you're working. They're a distraction when we work."

He knew and I knew that he knew. He was just a new dad. He became an Operator and a dad in the same week. One was enough of an adjustment, two was a handful. It was a hard lesson for me to learn. And he was learning it.

"Maybe they're hiding," he suggested.

They very well could have been hiding.

They better have been hiding.

When I caught one of them I was tearing into them. Did they know how to leave a note. It wasn't hard. I could hold a seminar on the pen and paper for them if they were unaware in connecting the dots.

I rested my chin on the counter, "Who would Hoot have confided in about a female?"

"Sanderson."

"Other then Sanderson?" Randy paused, then shrugged and picked up the phone and tried the gate number again.

Maybe I needed to go through his stuff.

Hoot would know better. He wouldn't keep anything incriminating with him. From out in the common area a voice shouted,

"G! Come look at this!"

As I stood and walked past Randy he shook his head. The line was still busy.

"Try a different gate," I suggested. Randy grabbed the five-page list of base numbers.

"G!"

All right, all right. I jogged out and toward the couches where all the guys were, every last one of us, glued to the couch.

On the TV I could see a brick building and a lot of smoke. I read the information bar on the bottom of the page, translated it from German to English.

An American Embassy was bombed.

"Randy!" I yelled, not taking my eyes off the TV.

"It's the second one today," Leon added cross-legged from the floor.

All I could do was watch as people were rushed out and Emergency Workers rushed in.

Then I noticed the writing on the ambulances – German. "Where was the other bombing?"

"Switzerland. Both were there…isn't that where the Mrs.'s is?" I stormed towards the kitchen.

She was not staying there. She was going to get in Germany, she could stay on this base. Or she could go home. I wanted her out of that country. No sooner had I made it past Randy and into the kitchen.

"G! There was another one…a third bombing, this one in Austria." I all but ripped the phone off the wall and punched in numbers that I had long ago memorized.

It rang and rang and rang and finally, "Hello?"

My heart swelled.

Thank God for nosey children. "Troy, put Aunt Angela on the phone, its Uncle G."

There was a pause, and then the young boy told me, "I won't."

Not I can't, I won't. Excuse me? "Troy, put your aunt on the phone right now."

Again he reiterated, "No. I won't."

"Why?"

He paused and sighed over the phone, "Cause she's busy crying an she doesn't know I have the phone. If she knew I had the phone she wouldn't cry an then she'd be sad all day again an I don't like when Aunt Angela is sad."

That didn't make sense.

The kid wasn't making sense.

Why was she sad?

She was fine over the phone last night. I was going to get to the bottom of this, "Fine…put Holly on the phone."

"No."

Now I was getting annoyed with Troy. Why couldn't Trey have picked up the phone?

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, "Why?"

"Cause they argue cause Aunt Angela's sad. Holly says she'll tell on Aunt Angela if she doesn't do something to fix her. If I give Holly the phone then she'll know that Trey and I know and she'll tell you and Aunt Angela will be sadder."

"Why is Aunt Angela sad?"

"She lost somethin."

"What'd she loose?"

"I dunno. Aunt Angela usually starts crying when they get that far in their argument."

What could she have lost? Her wedding ring? Her toe rings? She didn't own anything that she couldn't live without.

"Dunno. She had it with her in the hospital a left without it…hold on, TREY! Uncle G is on the phone!"

There was shuffling.

Running.

Someone dropped the phone and it sounded like someone stepped on the tail of a cat.

Then Trey came over the phone, "Hi Uncle G!"

Good, the well behaved one. "Put Aunt Angela on the phone, this is an emergency."

"Sorry…I can't do that." I was hitting a brick wall.

I lowered the phone and yelled for their father.


	11. Chapter 11

**11.**

**Randy.**

**A few minutes later…**

Gordon thrust the phone at me, "Get your son to get my wife on the phone!"

He was so demanding.

But I got it.

I wanted my sons to be safe home in America, not in some country where my embassies were being blown up. Yeah, I knew we weren't popular in some places. But Switzerland? I'd expect Mickey Mouse to be the culprit next. I took the phone and put it to my ear, "Son?"

"Hi Daddy!"

Inwardly everything turned to fuzz.

The sound of Trey's voice made everything make sense. He was my son, my blood, he was my offspring. My offspring was in danger.

"Trey, I need you to put Aunt Angela on the phone for me."

My son sighed, "No…then she'll be sad and I don't like when she's sad."

What was she sad about?  
I looked to Gordon and mouthed it, he shrugged.

"Son, why is she sad? Maybe we could make her happy, put her on the phone so we can make it better."

"NO! She doesn't want Uncle G to know, that'll make her sadder."

Ok.

I knew my children were intuitive. But they weren't mind readers.

"Son, adults are sad sometimes and they need other adults to make it better."

My son then informed me, "Uncle Hoot made it better."

My coworkers yelled for Gordon and he went back towards the TV. I was really hoping another building had not been bombed. I was tempted to drive my ass over to Switzerland to go get them.

"What do you mean?"

My son was getting annoyed and dropped the phone. It sounded like he kicked it and it hit something, something that made a loud noise. Maybe a cat. Then the phone was picked up and Troy's voice came, "Hi Daddy!"

We were so going over phone etiquette when I got home!  
"Son! What is wrong with your Aunt Angela?"

Exasperated, as if I should know the answer he informed me, "She lost something."

Lost something?

What the hell did she loose. "What was it?"

"I dunno."

"Well where was she?"

"The hospital."

The hospital? "What did she loose there? How'd she loose it? Was it stolen? Did she misplace something? Did she forget it? Was it taken or tested?"

Again, he told me, "I dunno." But he added, "She miscarried it."

My eyes closed and I felt sick.

When I opened them I had to ask, "What hospital was she at?"

As if I should have known it he sighed, "When she was in England with Prince Horse-face."

That long ago. It was a month or so at the most, but still. She had kept it to herself for a while. I opened my eyes and forced myself to breath. "When will she stop being sad?"

There was a pause.

I could hear him talking with Trey.

Then my son got back on the phone, God bless young innocence, "She's been sad for about an hour. She should be coming in soon, five minutes tops. We're supposed to be napping."

They were supposed to be napping.

I blinked and realized there were tears in my eyes. "Ok, son, have her call us immediately. Tell her it's an emergency. Can you do that?"

As if I had insulted him he spat, "Yeah!"

"I love you son."

"I love you too daddy."

I heard him hang up the phone. I couldn't move. Gordon didn't know. I knew he didn't know. We didn't even know she was pregnant. Slowly I hung up the receiver and knew he had to know. But did I want to tell him? Could I keep it from him? Did I want to be the one to tell him he had lost a child?

Would he be able to keep it together if he knew?

Before I could even think about that too hard the little plastic beeper in my back pocket began to vibrate like madness.

A collection of profanities drifted from the common area.


	12. Chapter 12

**12.**

**Hoot.**

There was something buzzing on her hip. It was pressed between us and buzzing against my stomach. The damn thing was very persistent. So much so that she shoved me off her, off the couch, and onto the floor in a heap of clothes and a puffy couch cushion.

She dug into the pocket on her scrub pants and fished out a vibrating pager. Then she swore like a sailor and reached above her head for the phone. Her hand swatted around on the hunt for the phone.

With what was left of my dignity, I began to protest, when my own pager began to chirp on my belt. Well, that could not be good.

Both our beepers had gone off.

Was the world coming to an end?

I got on my knees and lumbered toward her, "Who paged you?"

She scrunched up her face and peeked at the top of her pager, "The hospital…who paged you?"

Well I couldn't exactly divulge that with her. She quickly realized it, unlike every other female I had gone out with. Her hand found the phone and she gave it to me while sitting up, "Use this phone. I'll go find my cell phone."

At that she was up and off on the hunt to find her phone.

Only then did I peek at my pager.

Sergeant Major was beeping us. Perfect. Damn perfect. He didn't leave his phone number, instead he left a numerical message. We were to meet back at quarters ASAP.

I had to go. Immediately.

Where was my shirt? I dug around the couch, through the blanket and pillows that were awry and found it, I quickly pulled it over my head and then shoved the beeper back on my belt.

But first, first I had to get her numbers and address. Incase my ass got shipped back stateside.

I got to my feet and made my way through the really spiffy officer housing. I had never been in officer housing before. It was really nice.

I found her in a bedroom towards the back of the house.

Her bedroom obviously.

She was shoving clean socks and scrubs into a backpack while speaking to someone named Wandle. I had no idea who this Wandle person was. But, just by the tone of her voice, she knew him quite well and I was suddenly jealous of the man, even though I had never met him. The effect she had on me was amazing.

"Yeah, ok, I'll be there in a few minutes. Uh-huh, yeah, no I go over the mountain…yeah, well how else am I supposed to get there…yeah, I'm coming from Germany. Sure…I'll see you in a little bit."

She hung up the phone and grabbed a deodorant stick then perfume bottle, which she shoved in the bag. Once she was done she zipped the bag closed and then she noticed me.

So that's what I looked like when I got ready for work.

The sound of someone pounding on the front door and yelling my name emanated through the house. She cocked an eyebrow, "That's for you."

Yeah I knew that.

She came to a stop when she realized that I wasn't getting out of the doorway, or out of her way.

"He can wait. I want your numbers. Where you live at?"

A surprised expression crossed her face, "What?"

"I want contact information so I can track you down when I get my ass home."

She just blinked at me.

"Diana…baby, I'm serious. I wanna continue this an I ain't leavin till I get a number an address."

She pursed her plump lips, "I am homeless right now, I just moved out of my now ex's apartment."

Oh this was perfect.

God loved me.

"And I am NOT moving in with you Hoot." She tried to push past me but I blocked the doorway. "Baby, I never mentioned that. But you could move to North Carolina."

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"You don't think my father would find that just a little suspect?"

I didn't know and I didn't care.

"Gimme a number."

The front door opened and Sanderson's yelling filled the house, "Hoot! Get dressed!"

I peeked over my shoulder and shouted, "_In'a minute!_" When I turned back to her she had ducked under my arms.

I hurried after her, "_Baby._"

She immediately turned and poked me in the chest, "Hoot please, just give me some time. I can't handle having another manly man right now."

Manly man?

Good god, I was so kicking the ass of her ex if I ever came across the SOB. Sanderson appeared in the hall and threw up his arms, "HOOT! Come on! Lets go! NOW!" He then noticed Diana, "Ma'am, nice to meet you."

Diana looked between the two of us. Purely amazed, there was no other expression on her face.

"HOOT! We snuck out! COME ON!"

I pointed at Diana as I ran past her, "I'll be back!"

She waved.


	13. Chapter 13

**13.**

**Switzerland.**

Holly came running into the studio I had been trying to work in when all I got accomplished was non-stop tears. I needed a pill or something, maybe Holly was right. I didn't even know why I was so upset. Well, I knew the obvious reasons but still, I recognized the major one.

It were little things that brought me to tears.

Like the little angel I was trying to paint on the wall. I had been trying to get it done for the past three days. I just couldn't bring myself to paint it. I stared at the sketches and everything. I had the paints and brushes and couldn't do it. Everything around the angel was painted. So I sat on a bucket of white paint and cried.

Or had been.

A screech made me jump.

"_ANGELA_!!! _Where are you_!!"

A very pregnant Holly came half waddling half running into the room. Visibly unpset.

I stood up and wiped my face, "Holly, calm down, you could hurt you son."

Holly obviously didn't hear me.

She waved her arms frantically and declared, "_The poor people have lost their minds_!!!"

What?

I was about ready to ask her if she had eaten any pickled beets. They had given her horrible gas and she had been upset by pretty much anything after that until they had gone through her system.

She thrust a finger towards our rooms. "_It's on the TV_!!! _They blowing up our embassies_! _Burning English, French, and Italian businesses_! _They have been chasing away the foregin business men and women_! _Now they're rioting_!!!"

Ok, she had clearly lost her mind.

So I followed her out of the room I was in and to the rooms we were in. Trey and Troy stood infront of the TV, which had breaking news coverage on some radical political party that had been underground. Video of foregin businesses being burnt to the ground just happened to be on.

Holly thrust her finger at the TV, "_The poor people are revolting_!"

Oh dear God.

I rubbed my temple while Marie Antoinette screeched and ranted. I then walked to the TV and turned it off. The twins didn't need to see it.

Troy handed me my cell phone, "Uncle G was on the phone, he wants you to call him."

It wasn't Holly that made me realize we were in trouble, it was Troy. A cold feeling settled in my stomach. Gordon should have been training or working, not calling me.

"Go get your coats on. Pack a bag, go pack stuff, now. We might be going home so just pack one bag of stuff you really want. Not all toys either, put some clothes in your bags. Go on."

The two twins scurried off to their rooms. Thank God their tutor had quit and left. I looked to a silent Holly, "You too."

Holly bolted.

I then looked to my phone and saw my battery was half charged. Someone had been chatting for a while on my phone. I quickly found Gordon's number and called him. While I began to collect stuff. My purse. Car keys. Winter Coat. Ugghs. Essential things.

On the second ring he picked up, "Angela?"

His voice sounded so wonderful. It comforted me in a way no one else could touch. I wanted to just sink into a chair and talk with him. "What's wrong?"

I didn't have to be a genius to realize something bad was happening.

"Angela, the government is telling every American citizen to get out of Austria, Switzerland, and Slovenia. There's somesort of mass political rioting starting up. I want you and the twins, and Holly to drive here. You'll be flown home. It's not safe where you are. These people are looking for all foreigners and rich people, so take your jewelry off."

I fell into the aforementioned chair.

"Angela, sweetie, all Americans are being asked to get out of those countries. There are three schedualed planes taking military families home from our base, and other bases here. The four of you will be on one of them."

"Holly can't fly," I told him.

Of all the things I could have told him I told him that, then I added, "She's late in her pregnancy."

Trey and Troy were bickering abuot something, I could hear them. They momentarily distracted me, so I caught the end of what Gordon was telling me. "…about that when you get here. We can put her on a boat or something. Just get here, soon."

That wasn't a problem.

It was a twenty mile drive, tops, to the base. I was about to tell him that I loved him and we'd be there soon. But something really big and heavy came through the picture window in our common area. It was like a damn explosion! There was glass and shatterd brick everywhere. I screamed and dropped the phone on the floor. Another brick came through the broken window and missed me by inches.

We were so leaving!

The phone forgotten.

If my purse hadn't been on my shoulder, keys in it, I would have forgotten about that too. I screamed for Holly to hurry up…though there were numerous expletives used, as I ran into the twins room.

"Come on! Now! Forget that, now!" They were trying to get all their toys. I ran in and grabbed Trey's hand, Troy dropped his bag and we ran from the room as another brick came in and hit the TV. Whoever was throwing them had really good aim. Bastard.

I ran with the boys out into the hall and away from windows. There I heard someone trying to break into the house, through the front door a ways off in the mansion. It echoed through the house.

More windows breaking following.

Good lord there were a bunch of pissed off people. Where was Holly? At that thought she came barreling down the hall pulling a wheel suitcase, "Ok lets go."

We ran through the house as bricks and rocks came through windows.

A bunch of people tried kicking in the front door but didn't have much luck. Thank God and Allah that Dezi and his children weren't home.

With Trey holding my hand tightly we ran all the way to the garage.

I found my keys and pretty much grabbed Trey and threw him in the back seat, then Troy and slammed the door.

Holly was already in the passenger seat of my rented BMW SUV, belted in, suitcase at her feet.

I didn't bother to buckle up as I started the car.

I did lock the doors while Trey and Troy got in their seats.

"My toys are in the house," Trey complained.

The BMW roared to life.

"We'll buy you new toys," Holly told him.

I put it in drive and pretty much drove through the garage door. Trey screamed and Troy made an approving noise. "Buckle up," I told them, as I tried to avoid the people in the driveway.

This caused me to slow down.

Holly immediately yelled, "_Speed up_! _They'll move_!"

They didn't and I ended up bumping a few of them at about forty miles-an-hour.


	14. Chapter 14

_Authors Note: Ok, so I'll probably just keep doing the different POV for the most part. If it isn't marked whose POV it is then it is just Angela's. All POV's from any of the characters that aren't mine like Randy, Hoot, Gordon, or Sanderson will be marked. Enjoy!_

**14.**

**Germany.**

**Gordon.**

I finally just hung up the phone.

I heard her leave with the twins and Holly. I also heard the windows break and the looters come in. I had just got done swearing at someone named Olav in German answered my wife's cell phone that he had picked up.

I stared at the phone and in a fit I put my fist through the wall beside the phone. I was so pissed off that I didn't even feel it. I pulled my hand out of the dusty drywall and saw I had scuffed it up nicely.

Very nicely.

Perfect.

I had the sudden urge to put my foot through the wall but I didn't.

It was a good thing too.

I turned and saw Randy stroll in the kitchen, who noticed the hole and my fist. He connected the dots and softly said, "I'm sorry man."

Sorry?

What did he have to be sorry about?

"What are you talking about," I wanted to know.

Puzzled, he pointed to the phone, "You were on the phone with Angela?"

I nodded, "They're on their way…I think."

What on Earth was he sorry about? This was going to bug me. "What were you sorry about?"

Randy shook his head, "Nothing man. Hoot and Sanderson are back. The Sergeant Major will start things up in a minute…they're coming?"

"Yeah, they left quickly so Trey and Troy probably had to leave some of their stuff."

With a thoughtful nod Randy then told me, "Ok." He paused and opened his mouth, but promptly closed it.

I hadn't known him long but I knew he was keeping something from me. I didn't get a chance to bring it up. Hoot and Sanderson strolled right in the kitchen. Hoot brandished his pager at me and declared, "**I** was with tha future Mrs. Gibson! What is your prob'em?!"

I never got to answer him.

Sanderson smacked the back of his head, "She is not! She's the current Miss. McKnight and if you were smart, you'd stop stalking her!"

Oh my God, what did I miss?

Randy's eyebrows rose to an impressive height.

"You're stalking McKnight's daughter," was all I could think to say. To which Hoot spat, "I ain't stalkin her!"

Oh dear God. "I never thought I would have to tell you this Hoot, but quit bothering the Lt. Colonel's daughter."

Sanderson made a _told you_ face at Hoot.

The two of them were utterly amazing. Utterly amazing! I couldn't take it anymore, I had to go with the rest of the team and wait. I was going to kill someone and it would end up being Hoot.

I needed to find out just what was going on and where my wife and Randy's children were. Randy didn't need to know the circumstances that they left under. He was working on adjusting as a single father and operator, he didn't need any extra stress.

**minutes later…**

My ass was planted to the arm of the very battered pumpkin orange couch as I stared in stunned silence at Bear, the Sergeant Major. I could not believe what I had just been told.

Hoot sagged back into the couch, arms crossed, face scrunched up in disgust as if he had tasted something nasty.

It was Randy who spoke up, from behind me in a standing position.

"So…we're just going to do nothing while these politically minded activists have a field day across three countries and chase Americans around, you saw the TV, three Americans have been injured so far."

I was more concerned about my wife, as bad as that sounded.

My hand shot up.

Bear had turned the TV off. He held his hands up defensively, "Don't look at me like that guys. The colonel gave me orders. We are to stay out of this. The Swiss and Austrians are working on this and have not asked for assistance. So far no Americans have been unable to get out of harms way. Ok?"

No, it wasn't ok. I was pissed off.

"Look! Lt. Colonel McKnight is already raising enough hell wanting to help. We are to concentrate on our training, that's it. Now…the training for tonight was canceled since it was to take place in Germany and is being moved to tomorrow. Gordon, I swear to God, NO! You are forbidden from leaving this building. You can call command for information on new arrivals at base like everyone else."

My hand went down.

Shit, my pissitivity level rose considerably.

"The same goes for you Randy, that is a order for you, you, you, and every last one of you. The colonel doesn't want any of you leaving this base."

This was not going well at all.

Randy glanced my way, read my mind, and nodded in utter frustration. What were the two of us going to do? This just was not going to be a good night. There was a good possibility I was going to get a court-martial by dawn.

"Jeff."

Jeff?

Randy and I looked back to Bear who pointed his pen at Sanderson, "I need a word with you."


	15. Chapter 15

**15.**

**Switzerland.**

The SUV was almost out of gas and there was no way I was stopping in the middle of "Civil Unrest" oh no. Not with Trey in tears and on the floor. Not with Holly on the phone with her attorney asking about suing for emotional distress, while showing the crowd her flare gun. Which she had successfully fired twice and set numerous things on fire with.

I just wasn't feeling as brave.

I was pondering what I was going to do as I turned the corner, there were more people packed in the streets looting, setting fires, flipping parked cars; they were just having a grand old time.

A small hand touched my arm.

I peeked back at Troy, who was peeking up at me, "We're out of gas."

Yes I knew that, but I lied, "No sweetie, we still have a few miles."

Well Holly's head whipped around and she peeked over at the gauges, "We're out of gas!"

Trey began to sob even more as someone in a beret hopped on the hood of the SUV!

Oh this was not going to be good. While Holly pointed the flare gun at him, I slammed on the brakes and the man flew off the rental. It was at this time Trey sobbed, "I want to go home! I don't like Switzerland anymore!"

I felt his pain

The kid was terrified and Holly was getting really annoying. And then to top it all off…the car stopped, it just stopped. Right there in the middle of the street.

Softly I swore, "Shit…boys, do you have your coats?"

"No."

"Yes."

"Why?"

I looked to Holly, the last one to speak, "The car is out of gas."

She was having problems connecting dots.

"So…call a gas station."

As I shook off my sweater for Troy and handed it to him, leaving me in my camisole which was going to be super fun in the snow, I informed her, "We're walking to the edge of town until I find a car to hotwire. You and your unborn child can stay here with these fine people…or you can join us. It's only six miles."

Holly stared as I grabbed my purse and zipped it shut.

The crowd was starting to notice us. Not what I wanted. So I climbed out and slammed the door. I pretended to be brave and strong for the twins. As I opened the door and helped them out I slid off my wedding ring. The mob seemed content to destroy foreign shoppes and expensive cars. But if they noticed my ring they'd notice my designer jeans, purse, diamond earrings upon closer examination.

I slid the five-carat ring in my pocket. Followed by my carat earrings.

Trey hopped out next as he wiped his tears away.

I kissed the top of his head and promised him that everything would be ok and then we set off walking up the sidewalk. I had Trey's small hand in one of mine while Troy held onto my brown leather belt.

Holly ran after us pulling her suitcase through the slush. Half running and half waddling, flare-gun in hand, "Hold on, I'm coming!"

**Six miles and nine hours later…**

I couldn't feel my feet.

My jeans were soaked up to my thighs with slush and salt and my teeth chattered so much I was afraid they'd chip. But Trey was really warm from where he was on my back, riding piggyback style, sound asleep somehow.

The mob had moved on from looting to burning.

There were so many fires behind us I had lost count.

Troy whined, "Can we stop and find a car to steal already?"

Holly came to a stop and leant on her wheeled suitcase. She then looked around, "We're almost to the woods Angela. Cars don't grow on trees!"

She was right.

It'd been years since I had stolen a car. But I still knew how. I looked around the sparse scenery. Where was a car lot when one needed one.

There was a bar – empty. A food store – on fire. Then there was a field – empty.

Our options were slim.

I then looked to Holly, "Do you see any cars?!"

She looked around and then back to me.

Troy sat down on a big piece of ice.

I told her, "Lets keep walking. We're out of the town and away from the mob. There's a full moon so we should be able to find our way to Germany."

Holly's eyebrows rose.

She pointed at the mountain ahead of us with her flare gun, "Germany is _beyond_ that!"

Troy looked at the mountain and then Holly, "You're just figuring this out?"

Holly was tired and very pregnant.

Troy was tired and five and smart as a whip with a mouth to match.

"Troy…" I warned.

He rolled his eyes.

He was tired and I was exhausted too. "Troy…come here, I'll carry you."

Troy gave me a look, doubtful.

He then shook his head, "No. I can walk."

Troy then stood up and walked up to me, his small hand wrapped around in mine and he was ready to go.


	16. Chapter 16

**16.**

**Switzerland. On the way up the mountain…**

Not only did the wheel on Holly's stupid suitcase break from all the ice, snow, cement, and salt, but she then lost her signal on the cell phone; her world was literally coming to an end.

I continued to trudge upwards with Trey asleep on my back and Troy holding my hand still. The poor boy was shivering and I had nothing to give him. He had my sweater on. It was Angora but still, the snow was falling rather heavily.

Thank God I waterproofed his boots.

My feet were so cold they burnt.

My lips were chapped and my ears tingled.

I really wanted to just lay down in the snow and go to sleep, somehow, that didn't strike me as a wonderful idea.

If I weren't so cold and miserable I would have been able to enjoy the beauty of the mountain. Holly's constant complaining didn't help either.

Finally Holly came to a stop and declared, "I'm not walking anymore!"

I came to a stop and looked back at her.

Troy tugged on my hand, "Come on…we're halfway to the top. Plus witches don't freeze."

I ignored the car that passed us.

Holly then sat on her suitcase and rubbed her belly.

Troy tugged on my hand.

I gave his hand a squeeze and tried to think of something, anything to tell Holly.

Again, Troy tugged on my hand.

I turned to look at the boy by the full moon and saw the car had pulled over. It was a tiny VW Rabbit. I quickly shook Trey off me and handed him to Holly, then Troy too.

I had no idea who was getting out of the tiny car.

It could have been a serial killer. Knowing my luck…the odds were good.

To my great relief it was a man in BDU's.

He was Army. An officer at that, oh thank God! We weren't going to be killed and chopped up in little pieces. Or set on fire by the unhappy people at the bottom of the mountain.

His voice came through the late night/early morning. "Ma'am are you in need of any assistance?"

I knew that voice, where had I heard that voice from?

He came closer and I recognized him. Recognition crossed his face at the sight of me, followed by pure disbelief, "Mrs. Gordon? Angela?"

It was none other then Sergeant Mike Steele. According to the uniform markings he was a captain. I stammered, "Yeah…our car is back there…out of gas."

I pointed towards the flaming town.

"Are you heading to the base," he asked, immediately shedding his BDU jacket. He reached out and handed it to me. I took it and wrapped it around me, savoring the warmth from his body. The jacket wasn't lined or anything, but it was perfect. God I was cold. He then pulled off his gloves and handed them to me.

I nodded and Troy was at my side, "Yeah…Daddy told us to get to base an then we can fly home."

I gave Troy the gloves for his little hands, and then realized he was cold, so I took the huge jacket off.

"Angela…keep that, I have a blanket for your son in my car. I'll give you all a ride. I'm heading there myself." At that Steele ran to the car and I motioned for Holly and Trey to follow me, as I followed Steele to his mini-car.

I picked Troy up under his arms in an attempt to keep his shoes out of the salt and slush in the road. It had long ago soaked into my shoes. It didn't really matter since my feet were already numb.

I glanced back to tell Holly.

She was one step ahead of me.

Trey was perched on her suitcase.

Once at the car Steele had pushed his seat forward, "There is a blanket in the back. Your sons can huddle together with your friend."

As I put Troy in the car and reached out for Trey I realized just how big Holly was. While I put the sleepy brother in the back of the car I turned to Steele, "She won't fit back here. I'll ride with them."

He looked to Holly, who in return handed him her suitcase like he was a porter and walked around the VW.

She was utterly amazing.

"Please don't mind her…Sir, she's pregnant." I thought about adding that she was Holly and that was a problem in itself, but decided not to.

Steele sighed and rested his hand on my shoulder, "You don't have to call me Sir. You aren't under my command."

Yeah, that was true.

My husband wasn't even on the same base, same unit, they might as well have been in separate branches of the military.


	17. Chapter 17

**17.**

**Germany**

**Randy.**

I had just spoken to eight people who had transferred me to one another at least twice, and nothing was confirmed or denied about the fact there were American civilians and fleeing American dependants coming on base.

Was it supposed to be some sort of a secret?

If it was then I was out of the loop.

I hung up the phone calmly, seeing the hole Gordon had put in the wall. It was a nice sized hole. It deserved another one to add to the aesthetic value of the room.

"Anything?"

I shook my head and looked to Gordon, "They are so confused they don't know anything."

Gordon and Hoot stood side by side. Both waiting for information like the news junkies we all were.

Inspiration stuck and Hoot straightened up as if he had been hit by lightening. He pointed to me, "Call your lil woman back stateside. CNN knows shit fore we do. Have'r put the TV on an look."

True.

I lifted the phone and dialed her number from memory. Loud noises came from the front door as the Aussies returned from wherever they had gone. But I counted off the rings, all six of them, before she groggily answered the phone, "Hello…"

"Stephanie!"

Even I could hear the desperation in my voice.

There was a pause.

"Randy?"

She sounded sick.

She was also a few hours behind us so she shouldn't have sounded that out of it. "Are you ok?"

A sneeze followed, she sounded just a little nasally, "Yeah…I gotta cold. What's wrong?"

Hoot and Gordon were waiting not too patiently.

No time.

So I asked, "Could you do me a favor and turn on CNN?"

She muttered something and I heard her stumble around, turn the TV on and then gasp. "Are you ok!?"

"I'm fine. Listen and tell me if there is any news about Americans. Where are they going? What are they doing?"

Ok hold on…"

She then dropped the phone.

Hoot and Gordon hadn't moved. They were getting annoying so I covered the bottom of the phone, "She's looking."

They didn't move.

I was more then pleased when Sanderson walked into the kitchen. Hoot and Gordon looked at him, Gordon asking, "Where the hell have you been? What'd Bear want with you?"

Sanderson looked between the two of them and announced, "I have to make sure you two don't do anything stupid. I'm a damn Special Forces Operator and I am babysitting."

I felt his pain.

Gordon and Hoot shared a look. It was hard to tell if they were offended or not. Who knew with them.

Stephanie picked up the phone. Went into a coughing spell, and then told me, "Ok…the regular people are being told to go to the American Embassies. Dependants are being told to go to the embassies or their bases."

Ok.

Kinda what we expected, I then asked, "If you hear anything else can you call me at this number?"

"Uh-huh, what's the number?"


	18. Chapter 18

**18.**

I woke up to screaming.

Real screaming.

Not screeching or yelling. Oh nooooo. Holly was screaming at the top of her lungs. This woke me up and I saw what the problem was. The fact that I could see nothing but white was my first clue.

Snow.

White snow was all around the little car. Not a good sign. I reached forward and grabbed her shoulder, letting her know that she was not alone, and that she needed to quiet down. "Holly…stop screaming. What happened?"

Her head whipped around and she was bleeding from her temple. She thrust an accusing finger at Mike, who wasn't moving in his seat. "He hit ice and went across the lane, and then he hit another car and drove us both into a snow bank!"

Ice?

Perfect.

I squeezed her shoulder, "Calm down. Hysterics aren't good for the baby."

Immediately she stopped.

I peeked at the twins who were sound asleep curled up together like puppies. They were unhurt. There was a God. I then peeked at Mike and saw he had a bruise on his forehead.

What about the other car?

Was anyone hurt?

I patted Holly's arm, "Try and wake Mike up. Open your window, I'm going to see if the other car is still there. Maybe they have a phone. Or I can start digging us out."

I knew how to get a car out of snow. I was from the Great Lakes.

While Holly rolled down her window I climbed between her and Mike and then over her rather large baby belly, and then out into the snow.

I landed in a heap since I sorta had to thrust myself out into the snow. So I landed in snow and was just covered in the mess. Go me. When I got to my feet Holly had already rolled her window up.

The snow only came up to my waist.

So I brushed the snow off the green camo jacket and out of my hair. I then surveyed the area by moonlight.

We were in a snow covered pasture or field. There were either cows or horses in the distance. When I spotted the other car there was a lady getting out. A dark haired lady in green scrubs. The same lady who worked at the hospital.

Diana McKnight.

She held her hand to her shoulder and when she spotted me she shouted, "You ok?"

I was fine.

So I nodded, "What about you?"

She waved me off and asked, "Does your car work? The axel on mine is busted."

I hoped ours worked.

I made my way to the door and opened it, hoping that Mike was awake to tell us the drivability of his VW.

Holly looked up at me and informed me, "I just had a contraction."

I promptly closed the door.

I looked to Diana McKnight who was walking, or attempting to through the deep snow, "Ma'am! What do you know about child birthing?"

Her dark eyebrows rose.

She looked upwards briefly and then to me, "How far along is she? Has her water broke? How old is she?"

"She just had her first contraction. No. I don't know."

Diana jogged through the snow, "How close is she to her due date?"

I had no idea.

So I guessed, "Not far. A month…ish?"

Diana jogged to my side and I opened the door to see Holly again. She looked at me, then the scrub clad Diana. She looked pale and terrified, "I'm having my baby."

As if the car belonged to Diana she reached in and put the seat back. "Ma'am pull your pants down so I can see how far dialated you are. Lady…go to my car and get my backpack, it's on the front seat. Then get the blanket from the back of the car."

I was _lady_ so off I ran through the snow.

It was like running through water. I had to push my way through. A couple times I tripped and fell, but I got back up and eventually made it to her Mercedes.

I opened the door and grabbed her pack from the front seat. I reached around the back and grabbed the blanket. Along with a bottle of water that was on the floor. I had seen a baby born on the Discovery Channel.

It wasn't pretty.

Once I had everything I ran back to Mike's car. I ran around to the side with Diana and Holly. I handed her everything and watched as she unzipped the pack. She reached in, pulled out a stethoscope, and then handed it to me. "Go see if your friend has a heartbeat. Then count how many beats are in 30 to 60 seconds for me."

I took the medical gizmo.

I mouthed that it would be ok to Holly as Diana dug through her bag again. I made my way around the VW and got the door open on Mike's side and got on my knees in the snow. I lifted his shirt and put the round part other his heart, while I put the top earpieces in my ears.

I had seen ER and knew how to perform basic first aid. However when I heard Diana start talking on her cell phone I got distracted. She was so strong, so sure of herself. She was everything that I wished I could be as a woman.

"Wandle, it's me, I was in an accident…I'm fine, I'm talking to you aren't I? Ok, there are two people who need medical attention. One is a pregnant lady, her water just broke and she's having contractions…about an hour, less then two. The other man I am not sure. His breathing is steady and he has a minor bruise on his forehead. He just hasn't been alert or conscious I'm thinking serious concussion. But he's military so…yeah, send a bird out. I have no earthly idea. Right over the mountain on the Swiss side. Before the old barn in that huge pasture. Uh-huh…got it."

She put her cell phone in her scrub top pocket and promptly told Holly, "A helicopter is coming. Relax, you'll deliver your baby in a nice warm hospital bed."

**minutes later…**

The helicopter blew snow all over and it stung. Like little ant bites. I watched from behind the door as a skinny black man in a jumpsuit hopped out of the chopper and ran hunched over toward us.

He ran to Diana as she got Holly to her feet.

It was my job to watch Mike, who had woken up, kinda. He had hit his head really hard cause he thought I was Annette. Trey and Troy were wide-awake and watching with eagerness from the back.

"Will we get to ride in that?"

"Yes Troy."

"Will that take us to Daddy?"

"No, it'll take us to the hospital and then to daddy."

"Oh…can we go get in now?"

"Not yet Troy."

I looked up and watched Diana and the man, who she obviously knew get Holly into the chopper and seated on the stretcher. The two of them climbed out and ran back to the car for Mike.

I backed up and watched them unhook him and pull him from the car. Diana placed her hand on my arm and hollered in my ear, "Get the twins out!"

In no mood to yell.

I nodded.

While she and the man helped Mike to the chopper I pushed the seat back and motioned for Trey and Troy. Troy quickly hopped out ready to go for the ride. Trey took more persuading.

I helped him out and wrapped him in the blanket. Both of them were warm at least. Even though they were a little damp.

I looked to the helicopter and saw there was a problem. Diana and the pilot were arguing. Over what, I had no idea, I could not read lips. Finally she came running back to us.

"These boys are going, we're staying."

What?

I blinked, "What?"

"Weight. The bird is getting heavy. Either one of us or both of them."

Well that was a no brainer. I reached in the car and grabbed my purse and their Military ID cards , which I gave to Troy. Then I looked to Diana, "They have to stay together. Their father is stationed over at Germany."

"Absolutely. I'll call my father and tell him. He'll make sure they are on the same flight as the Captain. My co-worker will make sure they are watched."

She had a cell phone?

I quickly kissed Trey and Troy goodbye and told Troy to behave and take care of Trey.

Diana walked them to the helicopter and handed them to her co-worker, told him something as he put the twins where he wanted them, and then the helicopter doors closed.


	19. Chapter 19

**19.**

**Gordon.**

We all loitered in the kitchen around the phone like it was some kind of shrine. The roles were reversed and I didn't like it, not one bit. I had no idea how Angela put up with me.

She had the patience of a saint though.

When the phone rang we all looked to one another. Who was calling? Which one of us was it for? The phone rang again and again and again and finally Sanderson answered it, "Yeah?"

There was a pause.

We looked to him like he was God.

Then he handed the phone to Randy who grabbed it like a drowning man grabs a life raft. "Hello?"

There was first concern, fear, and then relief on his face. "Yes this is…yes they are, are they hurt? Ok…ok…yes sir. Yes sir. Thank you sir, I'll be ready. Thank you sir."

That sounded good.

Randy hung the phone up and looked like a weight had been lifted from his chest. "They're safe, they're in a hospital over in Switzerland. In an hour a helicopter is going over to pick up a wounded Captain, they'll be flown here on that."

"They who," I asked.

He paused and I knew my wife wasn't with them.


	20. Chapter 20

**20.**

**Diana McKnight.**

I had decided that this night was one of the more suckier nights during my trip to Germany/Switzerland.

It had taken us a good two hours to push the little VW out of the snow and back on the road. It wasn't pretty. My damn feet were numb, my fingers burnt, my scrub pants were wet, and the wire in my bra was stabbing me in the boob.

I was not a happy camper.

By the time I sat my cold wet ass down in the seat I was swearing just like my father. Who I had to call. But…I'd get around to that later. I called the hospital while the lady…who I could not remember her name to save my life sat down in the passenger seat. She took a deep breath and turned the air on, specifically on her feet which looked pretty blue.

"How long have they looked like that?"

She made a face and peeked down at them, "I don't know. I just took them off."

Oh perfect.

At least there was no traffic.

I pulled the little car to the side of the road, put it in park, and leaned down over her lap.

Her feet were cold to the touch but not black yet. I pinched the sole of her very calloused foot and she shrieked out in pain.

Which was a good thing.

So I sat up, "You felt that?"

"YES!!!" She shrieked, rubbing the place I had pinched.

"That's good. You don't have severe frostbite. Let the heat get on them."

Gingerly she touched her feet and muttered what could have been a profanity as she gingerly tended to the near frozen appendages. She moved so gracefully. She reminded me of one of those officers' wives who were real ladies: dainty and all. I would never be that refined or perfect.

"Where were you heading?"

While she continued to rub her feet she muttered, "To the German Base. My husband and the twin's father are both there training."

This got my attention.

Hoot knew her and Hoot was in Germany training. I was willing to bet good money that her husband worked with Hoot. "Winter training," I inquired.

The woman immediately clammed up.

She looked at me curiously, "Who are you?"

For some stupid reason I wanted this woman to trust me. I couldn't exactly tell her I was Hoot's girlfriend, I wasn't. Instead I told her the truth, "I'm Lt. Colonel McKnight's daughter. I'm a friend of Hoot's."

Then a flash of brilliance came. I dug my newly replaced cell phone from my scrubs, the old one had been hurled from the side of the mountain. "You can use my phone to call your husband if you want."

Her eyes watched me like a hawk.

Hesitantly she took the cell phone from me and dialed a number without pause. Then held the phone to her ear and pressed a few more numbers.

She had beeped her husband.

When she was done she closed the phone. Even that she did with grace and then she handed me the phone, "Thank you."

**An hour later…**

The lady known as Angela was watching out the car window while she clung to her purse, silent. Her feet were getting color to them, they were turning a lovely pink. Which was good, the blood was flowing back to them. Every so often she would rub them because they itched, another good sign.

As we turned the corner and came within sight of the German Border, there was a line of cars. There were cars in both lanes and on the side of the road: all empty.

Not a soul was to be seen anywhere.

This got my attention.

Angela's eyes narrowed and she looked to me, "Did the protestors come through here?"

I had no friggin idea.

Something had gone through here and there was no way we were getting through in the VW.

We were going to have to walk across the German Border.

Europe was really beginning to suck.


	21. Chapter 21

21.

I couldn't face my husband so I paged my own pager, which was in my room in Dezi's home back in Switzerland. I was a coward. I knew that, I couldn't bear to face my husband knowing he wanted a baby. I just couldn't do it.

All that guilt made me feel sick.

When I got sick I lied and told Diana that it was everything that had happened over the night, and I was worried about the twins. I guess she believed me. While she fished a pair of boots out of the trunk I pretended to recover from a fake illness. I just sat in the passenger seat and wondered how I would ever face Gordon ever again.

The thought made me feel sick again, but I didn't throw up. Go me.

I ran my fingers through my hair that usually helped soothe me. Not this time.

It could have been the fact we were literally alone in the middle of snowy nowhere, or that the sun was just beginning to rise and my body was feeling sluggish.

Or I was getting really hungry.

It could have been a million things.

Except that I knew what my problem was.

I was a chicken butt.

The sound of crunching made me look up. Diana came over and dropped a pair of black combat boots in the snow at my feet. "Put those on. They're waterproofed and'll keep your feet dry."

I didn't argue.

I simply picked them up, pulled them on, and laced them up.

Diana then pulled the cell phone from her scrub pants and called someone. Once she started talking I figured out who it was. So while she chatted away I listened to her conversation.

"Good Morning Daddy…yes I'm fine, I'll be arriving at the base soon…around noonish…well I'm on foot! I'm walking on my two feet…it's in a snowy cow pasture with a broken axle…because I dated a mechanic and he taught me about cars, that's how I know. Daddy I can't talk to you when you get upset, yes you are, you're yelling, yes you are upset."

She paced around as I pulled my jeans down over the boots and watched her.

"Daddy! Well we're at the border and walking…ok, yes, I'm in scrubs. Daddy calm down, we'll be fine. Angela…I don't know her last name, her husband's training on the base. I highly doubt he's a Ranger, go up a notch…go up another notch…I think so…Ok Daddy, I love you too. We'll be on the main road. Got it, uh-huh, love you, bye Daddy."

She had my interest.

When she hit the off button and looked to me she simply said, "He's going to try and get someone out on the road."

I had figured that one out.

Feeling a little better I asked, "What do you think my husband does?"

For a second she seemed surprised.

She quickly recovered, "The same thing as Hoot."

Right. I knew Hoot had it bad for her, I wasn't blind at the hospital. But I still had to ask her, "What exactly is your relationship with Hoot?"

Since there was no way I was telling her anything about my husband. I was curious as to whether she was going to be staying around for a while, or if she was just one of Hoot's Booty Calls.

She made an annoyed face and looked upwards. Clouds of smoke came from her mouth, "If he had his way we'd be married by now. He's slowly weaseling his way into my life."

That sounded like Hoot.


	22. Chapter 22

**22.**

**Hoot.**

G was on phone watch while I went to go take a quite lukewarm shower, change, and eat. We were around the phone in shifts and so far the phone hadn't rung at all.

Figures, I pick the one damn girl who can't work the phone.

No sooner had I stepped into my Spartan living quarters did Randy zoom in and close to door.

I looked at him with great interest, "You a'ight?"

Randy and I were friends but we weren't close as he was with Gordon. There was something in his eye. Something was wrong.

Randy stepped forward and asked in a low tone, "What are we going to do about Gordon?"

I was confused.

"What you mean?"

"You know about Angela?"

Oh…that. Yeah I knew about that. I really didn't want to be the one to tell G about that. His temper was legendary.

"Yeah…why'nt we let Angela tell'im?"

Randy shook his head, "She's too depressed. She needs him to know so they can work through this together."

But I really didn't want Gordon turning into a raving lunatic. We really needed Professional Gordon, not Psychotic Gordon. "Fine, but now ain't the time."

Randy was not convinced.

I put my hands on his shoulders, "Lemme handle this. Once G see's his wife he'll figure out somethin is wrong, when he starts pressin her for information she'll probably crack. If not…I'll call Tricare an have'im do somethin with the medical records…I'll make sure G see's the records an figures it out. That way he won't hate us, an he won't loose his damn mind when we need'em."

Randy pulled my hands down.

He pointed out to the kitchen, "She's in pain now! She needs him now…someone has to do something for her."

God I hated when he was right.

I stepped back and fell on my bed.

"An just what're you proposin Randy? If we tell'im our workin relationship is gonna be screwed the hell up."

Randy threw his hands up and began to pace. Keeping his temper pretty much under wraps. While he paced he pointed to me, "True. But I also know how much loosing a child can mess with you. It hurts Hoot. It's like someone is slowing ripping out your heart. I wasn't strong enough to deal with it on my own."

God, I hated when he was right. I fell back on the bed and covered my eyes.


	23. Chapter 23

**23.**

**Gordon.**

The Sergeant Major appeared in the kitchen with a Satellite Phone in hand. "Gordon, you have a call relayed from the states from England."

I had a what?

I looked at the phone on the wall and grudgingly walked to Bear. I took the phone and put it to my ear, "This is Gordon."

Bear walked away to give me privacy, nodding to Sanderson who was in the process of making breakfast for everyone.

There was that pause, and then a high-pitched English Accent came over the line. "Yes. Gary Gordon? This is Dr. St.Clear, your wife Angela Gordon came into our hospital a month and a half ago for food poisoning."

I knew that.

"Yes sir she did," I needed to get off the phone, what if the other phone rang?

"There was a mistake in her tests."

"What kind of mistake?"

"Sir, I hate to tell you this over the phone, but, I believed your wife suffered a miscarriage. However, that error has been clarified and now I realize she hasn't. I would strongly suggest your wife seek out medical assistance to determine the health of the fetus."

I obviously was not hearing this correctly.

"Excuse me? Whose…whose test results are you looking at? My wife is on the pill. She takes it daily. It's supposed to be very effective."

By this point Sanderson wasn't even trying to be sly about his snooping. He was just openly listening, facing me while he half-heartedly stirred his eggs.

The doctor paused, cleared his throat, and continued, "Yes. I can see that from her chart. It appears she was on several anti-biotics for a dreadful case of Pneumonia a few months back?"

I didn't need to be reminded about that. It was my fault she had gotten sick. Sick as a dog for a week. "Yes Sir, what does that have to do with this?"

"The medication she was on directly affected the birth control pill, it wiped out all effect and you wife was then able to conceive, which she did. When she came into the hospital she was suffering from Salmonella, tests were taken, and those tests were mixed up with another expectant mother. It appears that your wife did not miscarry. I can understand how you're feeling, and I can assure you steps will be taken to prevent this from happening again in the future. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me…Sir? Mr. Gordon? Are you still there?"

I had stopped listening by that point.

Sanderson watched me with great concern, "Gordon, you look a little pale, why don't you sit down?"

Yeah, sure.

I nodded and put the phone down on the counter. It was getting really hot all of the sudden. I couldn't breath.

I sagged back against the fridge, my legs gave out and I sagged down towards the floor. My butt hit the floor and there was finally something solid beneath me.

Eggs forgotten, Sanderson came over.

He grabbed the phone and put it to his ear, "Who's this?"


	24. Chapter 24

_Authors Note: Ok, FYI: any words written in italics below in this part are German. Since I really don't want to write and translate the amount of German I'm going to use. I'm just a first year German student, have mercy! So enjoy!_

**24.**

**Diana.**

**Two hours later…**

I already had the rest of my day planned out. I planned it while working on Angela's diagnoses. She wasn't well…that I knew. While I went through the symptoms in my head I thought about how I was going to spend my day.

1. I was taking a super hot shower. I was boiling myself until I ran out of hot water.

2. Then I was going to watch "Footloose" while eating whatever I could scrounge out of the fridge.

3. I really needed to call my father. So I had to do that once I hit the base. Until then I was conserving batteries.

4. I was pondering calling in sick. For some reason I really didn't want to go into the hospital and finish my call, or my upcoming sixteen hour night shift. For some odd reason I was willing to let sixteen hours of very lucrative pay go. It would probably pass though.

Suddenly Angela stumbled, again, under the morning sun.

Low blood sugar?

Was she diabetic?

"Whoa, Angela, hold on."

She caught herself and stopped, looking over her shoulder at me. She still looked greenish. She'd vomited three times and looked about ready to go again. Plus her face was flushed. That could have been from the cold…diabetes…or she could have been pregnant. She was pretty moody. Though under the current situation, anyone was bound to loose it.

I walked up to her on the side of the deserted road and held my palm to her head, she was clammy.

Again, not surprising.

"When was the last time you ate?"

She had to think which wasn't a good sign, especially if she was diabetic. Being a RN I had to ask, "Are you diabetic?"

Angela shook her head.

She then stumbled back. I grabbed her BDU Jacket and helped her to the frozen road. The snowplows had been through thank God. I shook off my pack and dug out a couple _Slim Fast Meal on the go bars_.

I unwrapped it and handed it to her.

She shook her head, "No. I'm not hungry."

Well that was cute, as if she thought she had a choice.

"Eat this. Your blood sugar is probably low. Plus if you have something in your stomach the acid will have something to sink into and you might stop vomiting. That's a plus."

When she realized I wasn't asking her she took it and began to chew on it.

I then dug out my stethoscope from my bag and lifted her shirt, putting it on her back. "Take a deep breath and hold it."

She did and I counted her heartbeat, then told her, "Let it out."

She did, and swallowed some nutritious meal on the go bar. I lowered the stethoscope and repeated, "Take a deep breath."

Obediently she did, when I had heard enough I repeated, "Let it out."

Again she did.

Her heartbeat was fast. Which could have meant anything, she could have been out of shape. But with diabetes out of the question. Pregnancy was next on my list and I didn't have a test handy in my bag.

She wasn't even giving me her husband's name, or her last name. Her telling me she was pregnant or not was not even a question.

But I did have my cell phone.

And I was a sneaky bitch.

I handed her the other bar, "Eat this one too. I don't want to carry you back to base."

At that I got up and pulled out my cell phone, I then called my co-worker, Dante. Inwardly I was praying she didn't speak a word of German. On the third ring Dante picked up the phone, "Hey girl. Where are you at, are you coming in or not?"

"_Hey babycakes, I'm still on foot, the car was a wreck, I'm five miles away from the base. I need a favor_."

"Anything girl."

"_Are those twin's still in the hospital? Or did you send them to the base?_"

"They are still in the lounge, girl, why?"

"_If your not too busy could you ask them the name of their sitter, and then do a complete medical search on her? I'm thinking she's pregnant, but I'm not going to get anything out of her_."

"Sure babygirl, I'll call you back."

"_Thanks doll, you're the best_."

"And you know it."

While she chewed a mouthful of Slim Fast bar, she covered her lips, "What was that about?"

Seamlessly I lied, "I'm seeing if we can take a shortcut through the woods, he's getting back with me."

Angela peeked over her shoulder at the forest where I motioned. Then back to me and pointed to the think snow covered forest, "Through there?"

With a smile I nodded.

She stared at me like I had a third head.

**Fifteen minutes later…**

The small cell phone in my hand rang and I quickly answered it, "_Well_?"

If she thought I was speaking to someone in German I might as well keep her thinking that.

Dante's exasperated voice came over the line, "God Girl! That girl is messed up! Anyway…I got off the phone with some po-dunk hospital in England where she was most recently, they don't know which way is up, all they could do was confirm that she was indeed pregnant. They were really worried about me suing them for some reason."

Odd, but not unusual.

"_How far along is she_?"

Again Dante sighed, "Girl…that hospital had no idea, they were too busy kissing my beautiful black bottom. But, our little pet got a bad case of Pneumonia about three months ago and afterwards she never refilled her birth control. Now! Using my amazing powers of deduction…I'll venture she's about three months…would you like me to consult the Magic Eight Ball for a second opinion?"

"_Nope. Good job babycakes_."

"Also…Wandle wants to know if you're coming in?"

Oh yeah, right away.

"_Not till tonight, I'm still on foot_."

"Girl…why don't I have our boss send a chopper out to pick you up? You are with a patient, hell, he could have you flown over here in the time it would take you to get to that little base."

God I loved my job and Dante, he was good.

"_You're my hero_," I told my good friend and co-worker.

Shamelessly he told me, "I know…leave your cell phone on so we can track you."

We made our kissy noises and I hung up, but didn't turn my phone off.

Which made Angela give me a weird look. Oopps. I shook my head and told her, "No. We're staying on the main road right here. My boss is sending a helicopter to pick us up, and fly us to the hospital in Switzerland."

She narrowed her eyes, "The director of the ER?"

I laughed, that was funny.

Then I shook my head, "No no no, I work for a private company who contracts out with hospitals, the government, the military, anyone who can pretty much afford to us my boss's services."

A look similar to a pout crossed her face, "What do you do?"

Just because she was quiet didn't mean I had to be. Plus, if Hoot kept it up I'd probably be seeing a lot more of her. I just wasn't strong enough to keep telling that man no. I was not that good of a person.

I was going to need a place to sit down. It was going to be about fifteen minutes before we were getting a ride. "I'm a RN. I specialize in trauma, the bloodier the better."

Ha! I'd use my backpack! That survival training was so paying off.

Angela's eyebrows lifted, "Really. You're working now?"

I made myself comfortable on my backpack, though I was sitting on a roll of surgical tape, "Absolutely. I am contracting with the military hospital on base. Another hospital in Germany, I'm helping them turn their ER into a Critical Care Trauma Center. Plus I'm pulling some night shifts down at the ER in the hospital in Switzerland where we're going to be flown to, where those twins are."

Curiosity was getting the better of her. She finished off the bar, while she asked, "How much are you making?"

Oh, the best part.

I had to think. Remember my three jobs and how much each contract was for, "Well the military hospital I'm just a regular ER RN sooooo on the normal shift I'm making about sixty bucks an hour. But that's the military for you. Then at Germany I am advising and working as a RN there so I'm pulling in about ninety an hour, and in Switzerland I'm doing the ER and Flight Trauma. In the ER I'm making about seventy, but, everytime my butt gets in that helicopter I get thirty extra bucks an hour."

She stared at me, as if the third head was back. Smartly she asked, "What else are you doing?"

"I'm overly qualified," was what I told her.

After that answer she piped down, obviously not wanting to know anymore.


	25. Chapter 25

_Authors Note: ok so these next three chapters will be the ending. I pondered making them one, and then decided that smaller was better, less confusing and what-not. Also I moved up a little in the timeline of things cause I just couldn't write a reunion, it turned out way too corny for my tastes. Anywho, review please, any comments suggestions? Let me hear'em. I might just put them in something! ;) _

**25.**

**Randy.**

**Later that night…**

With all the press we all got a few days off. There were too many cameras, cops, civilians, just too much everything for us to be training. Which was just perfect. In eight hours my sons were on the next flight stateside. Stephanie going to pick them up and watch them until Angela's boat made it stateside.

That had been a phone call I had enjoyed making, literally. As much as Angela was an essential part of their lives. For some reason I wanted them to get used to her. I wanted to see how she reacted to them. Not that I had a snowballs chance in hell with her. I'm sure all women wanted a single father of two sons who was going to be gone…a lot.

But there was just something about her.

I had eight hours to ponder it.

Until the eight hours were up I had them with me, safe.

They had been safe for the last ten hours eating crappy hospital food and watching Jerry Springer in the Nurses Lounge.

Now they were asleep like nothing had happened. Hogging the covers from one another in my small bed.

I wasn't sleeping.

Hell no.

I was wide-awake in the chair next to their bed watching them sleep.

Something I hadn't done since I brought them home from the hospital, or the night I got them back from my ex.

All the guys on my team and the Aussies loved them. No one cared that they were in my bed.

Bear pretended not to see them.

For that I was very grateful, I owed him for that. He gave me eight hours with my sons.


	26. Chapter 26

**26.**

**Hoot.**

After telling Bear I was going to be gone all night, and that I had my pager, I tracked down the future Mrs. Gibson. Who had been sent home from work for the night to recuperate from her day. I was almost ready to call her two other jobs to tell them she needed a day off.

She wouldn't let me.

I wasn't about to argue with the woman who had just let me into her bed. Although I had to promise I would keep my pants on and my zipper up. And if her father came home she was _pushing my southern ass out the damn window_, and that was quoting her verbatim.

Once again I thought about calling her other two jobs when she fell asleep, right before Kevin Bacon started prancing around in _Footloose_, a scene she had been looking forward to seeing.

But that very well could have been detrimental to my tricking her into marrying me.

After watching G and everything he did to make his wife happy over the years, and I had been paying attention; I wasn't doing anything that could be misconstrued in any sort of way.

Women were tricky.

Diana wasn't just tricky, she was a handful. Her last boyfriend "boywonder" had done a swell job pissing her off. I had to therefore be careful, her pissed off button was sensitive.

While she slept, curled up against me, a good sign in my book. I put both our phones on vibrate and then called my phone with her phone, storing her number in mine for when we were stateside.

In my head I was formulating a plan. Somehow I had to get her to move to North Carolina with me.

She was out like a light, so I had plenty of time for my plotting.


	27. Chapter 27

**27.**

**Gordon.**

Hospitals did not bother me, I actually found them quite soothing for some odd reason. Maybe it was all the noise, or the colors, or the smells of cleaning agents.

Who knew, I was more then a little messed up.

The woman who accepted me and all the little hang-ups of mine, carrying my child, the same individual who had made everyplace I ever went a home was curled up on me like a cat: all because she refused to sleep in the hospital bed.

In the little hospital gown they had given her, with the little clip still on her finger and a IV still in her arm replacing all the fluids she had lost from her little adventure.

With all that she was sound asleep, covered with the soft but thin hospital blanket, using my chest as a pillow. A common hobby of hers. I stretched out as much as I could, using the hospital bed as a leg rest for my legs.

The nurse gave us a weird look.

I ignored her.

On the little wheeled table was a Styrofoam cup full of Coca-Cola and beside it was a little black and white picture of our child. For hours we had gushed over the little picture.

Made plans for her to take a boat home.

The little picture had a dot with a red circle around the dot, our baby. We had kept loosing the little dot in the sea of black.

Occasionally I would pick up the picture and look at it while she slept. Wonder what our little dot was. Whether I would have a daughter or a son. I was going to be a father. The word was foreign. I didn't think I'd ever have that title till I got out.

Then I gave her pneumonia and got her pregnant.

I was probably in the running for **Husband of the Year**.

None of that was bothering me. Later it would, that I was sure. No, what was bothering me was something I hadn't picked up on earlier. Only when I had hours of silence to myself while my sleeping wife lay across me did I come to this revelation.

She thought she had miscarried the baby.

She thought she had miscarried the baby and she never told me.

I watched her sleep and wondered why.

There was no way I would wake her up to demand answers. I wasn't even sure I wanted one. But for some reason it bothered me.

Was work the reason she didn't tell me? Was she waiting to tell me? Was she afraid to tell me? Was she upset? Depressed? Angry?

The fact she hid things from me was not new. I hid things from her daily.

She knew I hid things from her was the difference.

With the sounds of the hospital in the background, a soda by my side, and a muted CNN on the TV in the room. I watched my wife sleep and wondered what the problem had been.

Could I fix it?

I had fixed every problem in our past.

It had been different then. We were young. We could move at the drop of a hat. There wasn't as much emotional attachment. She wasn't so pregnant and hormonal. We weren't married. We didn't share a last name.

I loved her, but I had not been in love with her then.

Now the problems were so much more complicated.


End file.
